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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28581624">Traitor.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomling/pseuds/Gloomling'>Gloomling</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Betrayal, Emotional Manipulation, Evil Toby Smith | Tubbo, Execution, Hybrids, Imprisonment, Manipulation, Mental Breakdown, Sorry Not Sorry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:28:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28581624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomling/pseuds/Gloomling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“As Quackity said before, this country was made to be free and safe.” Tubbo starts, “We built it from the ground up, and we fought and suffered to keep L’Manburg safe. We value peace, dignity, and trust over everything.” He turns to look at Ranboo, “And there’s no one I trust more than my loyal minute man, Ranboo.”</p><p>Ranboo watches as he’s coaxed forward by his friend, “come on, big man, say a few words.”</p><p>—</p><p>Ranboo is loyal. Ranboo is trusting. Ranboo is kind to everyone. So why does everyone always betray him?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ranboo &amp; Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo &amp; Toby Smith | Tubbo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>413</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Traitor.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! This is not my best writing, but I spent the time writing it, so I’m going to post it :).</p><p>This was written before the Festival stream today. And oh my god, Ranboo’s acting is AMAZING. Give this mans an OSCAR.</p><p>Anyways, enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dream.” Quackity glares down at the restrained man. He’s center stage, chains across his torso and wrapping around his arms to hold him in place. He’s surrounded by the L’Manburg cabinet, Tubbo and Ranboo to his right, and Fundy to his left, “You’ve terrorized this country for too long. L’Manburg was made to be peaceful. A place where people could live freely and without fear, but you ruined that. You disturbed the peace, started wars, and spread your corrupt morals. Infecting the brains of our citizens with violence and hatred. This will not be tolerated any-“</p><p>“I’m sorry, but shouldn’t Tubbo be giving this speech?”</p><p>Quackity looked surprised at the sudden interruption, blinking at his captive, “What?”</p><p>Dream rolls his eyes, shifting in the chains “Tubbo is the president, is he not? Shouldn’t he be the one to give this speech?”</p><p>“Well.” Tubbo speaks up, “he’s technically not wrong.”</p><p>Quackity glances between the two before grumbling and stepping back, gesturing to the microphone for Tubbo. The president makes his way up to the mic, adjusting it for a second before clearing his throat.</p><p>“As Quackity said before, this country was made to be free and safe.” Tubbo starts, “We built it from the ground up, and we fought and suffered to keep L’Manburg safe. We value peace, dignity, and trust over everything.” He turns to look at Ranboo, “And there’s no one I trust more than my loyal minute man, Ranboo.”</p><p>Ranboo watches as he’s coaxed forward by his friend, “come on, big man, say a few words.”</p><p>Ranboo wrings his hands in front of him. Loyal. Could he even call himself that?</p><p>Yes, his mind supplies, you’re loyal to those who help you.</p><p>He stands beside Tubbo and leans down to the microphone. It’s a lot shorter than he expected, and he pretty much has to double over to speak directly into it, “Uh, hello everyone.” He’s met with silence and expectant faces, “Um, I’d like to start out by saying that the experience of working in this government really has changed my life.” For better, or worse “And that the people specifically are some of the most loyal, trustworthy people I’ve ever met. I’d trust them with my life, and I’d hope they’d trust me with theirs too.”</p><p>“Fundy spreads joy with pranks and gifts throughout this country and the entire server. Quackity has shown us how to be brave in the face of danger, and Tubbo has been one of the greatest presidents this country has ever had, bringing peace and prosperity we haven’t seen in years.” He looks across the crowd, meeting eyes with Niki, who smiles at him, though she’s looking hesitantly back at Dream. Next to her, Eret waves and gives him a thumbs up. He takes a deep breath, “but loyalty doesn’t come from an individual, not when a country is involved. No, loyalty comes from its people as a collective. It means that everyone stays true, and has faith in their country.”</p><p>He’s cut off by clapping behind him, and turns to see Tubbo smiling at him. The smile was sad, and didn’t reach his eyes the way it was meant to. Ranboo shrunk away slightly when the boy approached him, “That was a nice speech, Ranboo.”</p><p>“Thank you-” Ranboo is cut off yet again by somebody yanking him backwards and cold metal surrounding his wrists, “T-Tubbo?” He struggles in the grip of someone- he can’t tell who, maybe Quackity- and screeches when he’s shoved into the wood of the stage.</p><p>“RANBOO!” He hears multiple shouts of his name, but he’s too out of it to recognize the voices.</p><p>Tubbo rears his head around, glaring at his citizens and doing something nobody had heard him do in a long time, “BE QUIET, EVERYBODY.” He runs a hand through his bangs, a crazy look in his eyes, “I am so SICK and TIRED of being spoken over. I am the president, and you will LISTEN to me.”</p><p>There’s a silence, and Tubbo clears his throat, reaching over to pat Ranboo’s head condescendingly, “Do you know why you’ve ended up in this position?”</p><p>“No, what did I do?” Ranboo shakes his head frantically, before his head is shoved into the floor.</p><p>Tubbo puts a foot on his back, staring at him with fire blazing in his eyes, “DON’T LIE TO ME, WHAT DID YOU DO, RANBOO?!”</p><p>“I don’t remember, please! I don’t remember, I don’t remember.” He repeats it like a mantra, tears burning the back of his eyes. He holds them back, the thought of crying in front of his superiors mortifying.</p><p>Tubbo shakes his head, a look of disappointment crossing his features, “You betrayed me, Ranboo, and it’s all written down by your own hand.” In a flash, he pulls a small notebook from Ranboos breast pocket, flipping it open and tabbing through the pages, “It says it right here, first page, that you have an ally ship with Technoblade, Tommy Innit, and Phil.”</p><p>Ranboo felt the metal dig into his wrists more, and his vision flashes purple as he starts struggling in the grip of his captor, letting out a screech not unfamiliar to that of an Enderman. Tubbo tsks, shaking his head and digging his boot into Ranboos back, “Ranboo, Ranboo, calm down.”</p><p>“Tubbo...” he hears someone- Fundy?- speak up behind him, “Tubbo, I think this is a bit far…”</p><p>Another voice, this one hushed and harsh, “Shut the fuck up, Fundy. He’s the president.”</p><p>“Yes, I am.” The president speaks up again, “which means I get to decide Ranboo’s punishment.”</p><p>Another shout, but the voices are starting to blur together. He vaguely recognizes Tubbo shouting again, and then more pressure on his ribs. It’s starting to hurt. It hurts it hurts it hurts-</p><p>“You could follow Dream in his execution…” his tone is indecisive, and he keeps digging his heel into Ranboo like he’s trying to put a hole through his chest, “Or I could exile you like Tommy… I also heard Sam had a prison that seems adequate to hold quite a few prisoners…” there’s a pause, “Though one of those options is more appealing than others.”</p><p>There’s a chuckle behind Ranboo as he’s dragged to his knees, it’s low and condescending, slightly threatening. Ranboo feels himself tense even more. Pathetic. I’m pathetic.</p><p>“You know,” it’s Dream, Ranboo thinks, “this is giving me some serious deja vu.”</p><p>“How so, Dream?”</p><p>The admin gives him a look, “And execution? At a festival? Sounds familiar.”</p><p>Tubbo laughs airily, “I know what you’re going to say, and I’m nothing like that- that vile, angry drunk.”</p><p>There’s a period of silence, and the cabinet share a look. Fundy is the first to speak, “Well… you do kind of remind me of Schlatt with the… you know.” He points towards his head, obviously referencing the president’s horns.</p><p>Quackity doesn’t say anything, but Ranboo can only assume that he agrees given Tubbo’s betrayed expression, “I am nothing like Schlatt.” His eyes darken, “In fact, I’m the opposite of Schlatt. My goals are just, my beliefs are good,” He turns towards Ranboo, “and my decision is law.”</p><p>The Enderman hybrid feels himself being dragged backwards and hoisted onto the platform Dream is binded to. Another chain is wrapped around his chest and tied to a pole behind him. He screeches again, his vision blurred fully now, and his breathing erratic. He’s not human anymore, his Enderman instincts taking over and the goal of survival ringing through his brain. His body vibrates, white and purple staining his hands, and particles radiating from his body as he screeches and screeches.</p><p>Suddenly his body jerks, and he lands on wood. Wood? Why wood? He’s being shoved from all sides, there’s noise and shouting and it’s so loud. He pushes himself up- where are the chains?- and looks around.</p><p>He’s surrounded by people. Faces. All staring at him. Eyes on him, pushing, shouting, calling out to him.</p><p>His instincts are telling him to run.</p><p>So he does. He turns on his heels and runs across the audience platform. It takes him a moment to register that he teleported, which means he probably looks monstrous right now. Whenever he teleports his hybrid features become more prominent.</p><p>As soon as he hits the grassy patch near the panic room, he starts clawing at the dirt. Digging, digging. When did you cover it with dirt? He stops, patting at his pocket only to realize his memory book is gone. Where? Ranboo closes his eyes, frantically trying to remember.</p><p>Where where where where-</p><p>He finds himself clawing desperately through the dirt again, letting out a sob as he grows more frantic.</p><p>You remember. You remember. It’s… the room…</p><p>What room?</p><p>He stops.</p><p>His mind goes blank.</p><p>And he slams his fists into the ground, tears finally falling as he hits the ground over and over. He cries and cries, curling on the ground like a small child.</p><p>It’s pathetic. It’s really pathetic.</p><p>He doesn’t know how long he laid there. He can’t remember. Of course he can’t remember.</p><p>The dirt is just starting to dig into his stomach, and his eyes closing slightly in exhaustion, when he hears a voice.</p><p>“Oh, you poor thing.”</p><p>Ranboo rolls slightly to the side, staring at Dream as he approaches and kneels down next to him. Ranboo curls away from the man slightly, but relaxes when the man places a hand on his head. It’s more comforting than condescending, like how Tubbo had patted his head earlier.</p><p>He feels hands slip around his form as he’s hoisted up off the ground, “You’ve been betrayed. By everyone.” The words are murmured, quiet and slow, and ever so convincing, “Nobody cares about you, Ranboo, nobody. But I care about you.”</p><p>“I’ll save you, Ranboo.” The Enderman curls into the man. He hasn’t felt this tired in so long, nor this comforted, “I have a special place I can take you. A place you’ll be safe. A place where I can protect you.”</p><p>The boy finds his mouth moving without realizing what he was doing, “that sounds nice.”</p><p>“Mhm. Sleep, Ranboo.” Dream starts carrying him off somewhere. Ranboo’s too tired to care. “I’ll protect you from the bad people. I promise.”</p><p>Then everything goes black.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>And when he wakes up, he’s in an obsidian cell.</p>
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